Conventional drains for bathtubs, showers and the like include a drain opening in the lowest area of the tub. The drain opening is connected to a slightly sloping horizontal pipe that connects to a vertically positioned pipe that connects to a vertically positioned fitting called a tee. This tee accommodates the horizontal drain pipe, the upper vertical overflow pipe and the lower vertical waste pipe that goes to the trap and then out to the sewer line. One standard apparatus for opening and closing flow through the drain opening uses a plunger tube or sleeve, generally referred to as a "bucket". The bucket is movable between a lower position in the vertical pipe to block flow of water from the horizontal pipe into the vertical tee and an upper position in which flow is unimpeded by a lever or other means.
The bucket sometimes becomes stuck in one of the two positions. The bucket must fit snugly in the vertical tee so that leakage will not occur in the closed position. The bucket may become stuck because of contamination entering between bucket and pipe, such as hard water deposits, soap, etc.
When there is a clog in the vertical pipe downstream of the bucket, a plumber's snake must be inserted to clear the blockage. While it is sometimes possible to insert the snake through the drain opening, this is often very difficult because of the number of right-angle turns the snake must make between the drain and the vertical pipe. Removing the lever mechanism, linkage and bucket will permit the snake to be inserted essentially straight into the vertical tee through the opening in which the lever mechanism is mounted.
When the bucket is tightly stuck in place, it cannot be moved between open and closed positions and cannot be removed to permit introduction of the snake. In attempting to raise the bucket by pulling on the linkage between the bucket and the control lever mechanism, the linkage is often broken, generally at the point where the linkage connects to the bucket. Then an opening must be broken into the wall at the point where the horizontal and vertical pipes come together and the tub waste and overflow devices must be replaced. After repairs are made, the wall and any underlying ceiling must also be repaired.
This repair is both time consuming and expensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a tool that will effectively loosen a stuck bucket and remove it through the lever mechanism opening. The tool must be sturdy, easily insertable into the vertical pipe and brought into connection with the bucket. The tool must be convenient to use in loosening and removing the stuck bucket and work well with a wide variety of bucket and tee designs.